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Chapter 2. The Ceremony

Aanika's declaration bounces off my eardrums just as the same word leaves my own mouth.

"Mate."

It doesn't sound as possessive and sure as Aanika but it's because of the face that stands out amongst the crowd.

My gaze sweeps over him, taking in his familiar but nonetheless striking appearance.

In spite of my initial shock, suddenly it's as if anything and everything I have ever felt no longer exists. No one exists but him.

My mate.

My eyes lock onto his and when they meet mine, it's like I'm seeing them for the first time and for a fleeting moment, I'm utterly transfixed by them. Their golden honey hue visible even at a distance. Until his eyes leave mine.

His shoulders rise and fall with the deep breath he takes before starting to walk up the pathway towards me, his gaze falling on me once again.

He runs a hand through his thick dark brown hair just for it to fall right back in place and my eyes travel to the crisp white button up shirt he's wearing. It clings to his broad chest and large arms, stretching to accommodate the layers of muscle underneath. The sleeves are rolled up, revealing the tattoos I know travel up them and onto his neck and I instinctively bite my lip.

Everything seems to be moving in slow motion and I have an intense urge to just run to him and taste the lips my attention was now on.

Just as I clutch the sides of my dress to ensure I don't trip, I feel a slight sense of confusion from Aanika that keeps me rooted in place.

'What's wrong, Aanika?'

She doesn't respond and I hear a rather lengthy sigh next to me and I turn to see Alpha Mason standing in his usual imposing posture with his hands in his pockets but something about the way his head seems to be hung just ever so subtly causes me to stiffen. Luna Amari now stands next to him, her face completely unreadable.

I reach for my wolf again. 'Aanika?'

I can feel her but she seems far away and still isn't responding. She's likely already bonding with his wolf, Romulus and I shake my head to dispel the myriad of thoughts clouding my focus.

The field is deafening silent and I'm suddenly aware of just how many eyes are on the both of us. I try to compose myself and hope I don't look as awkward as I feel.

He comes to a halt directly in front of me.

There's a sudden fluttering in my stomach and my skin flushes, making me feel overheated. My core tightens and my panties become rather warm and damp. I quickly press my legs together and that little bit of friction sends me into overdrive.

What the f**k is this?

'Winter.'

Shit.. did Aanika sense that? I don't have to see my own face to know a blush has crept across it.

Before I can respond, his gaze sweeps down my body and back up, the notion like ice against my heated skin, sending shivers through me and all but making me focus solely on him. His honey colored eyes seem to darken to a molten amber, consuming every inch of me before his attention is diverted by Alpha Mason loudly clearing his throat.

He glances over at both our Alpha and Luna, his Mother and Father and a look of resolution instantly sweeps over his perfectly sculpted face.

There's a slight tick in his jaw and when he looks back at me, his eyes seem to glaze over. Gone were the shades of lust, replaced by a depthless stare.

He speaks and his tone is confident and Alpha like. "We can't be mates, Winter."

Gasps fill the crowd, my own breath suddenly caught in my chest.

No. This can't be happening.

My stomach immediately twists and bile rises in my throat. I can instantly feel Aanika's presence again before a deep, soul crushing whine comes from her and I begin to shake.

When I speak, my voice betrays me, the trembling evident in it. "Why, Asher?"

His face is like stone, devoid of any emotion. His eyes bore into mine without a trace of confliction and only the nervous bob of his adam's apple as he swallows showing any signs of feeling whatsoever.

"Let's get this over quickly so we don't prolong our recovery, okay?"

The wind is knocked right out of me and it takes all my strength to remain upright. I lock my knees tight and wrap my arms around myself.

I feel exposed. Humiliated. Rejected.

"Tell me why. Please." My voice is so low and defeated, I'm not even sure he heard me and I can't bring myself to repeat it. Hot streams of tears begin to trail down my face and I can do little to stop them.

He wastes no time while the world around me falls apart. "I, Asher Gray of the Black Alder Pack, reject you, Winter Stone of whatever pack you originally come from."

I don't have the time to process what he said because Aanika's whimpers and whines have turned guteral and the feeling of the bond being broken hits me with a force that makes every muscle in my body strain.

My legs finally give out and I hit the ground, a resounding thump coming from my knees impacting earth.

I already don't have the strength to raise my head but I speak with what little clarity I can muster.

"I, Winter Stone, of the Black Alder Pack.." I swallow hard in anticipation of what's about to come. "Accept your rejection."

The pain slams into my body and I scream out. I grip the grass and dirt around me as my very bones feel like they're snapping in half and being torn from my body limb by limb. My heart feels as if it's literally breaking, leaving me unable to draw breath.

I dig my fingers deeper into the dirt, grabbing at whatever I can while my continued screams muffle the voices and movements going on around me.

I reach out for Aanika but she's silent and I can't feel her. All I feel is the pain of the very thing I feared more than anything ripping me from the inside out.

I silently beg for it to stop but it goes unanswered, my body going completely limp onto the ground.

I can vaguely hear a voice near me and what feels like really big arms wrap around me before pitch darkness slowly fills my vision.

And then there was nothing.